Bilic revels in growing stature as Turkey face biggest test

Bilic has shown his ability to innovate tactically as the tournament has progressed. Photograph: Roland Schlager/EPA

Slaven Bilic may be the youngest coach among the remaining quarter-finalists at Euro 2008, but he has already acquired a taste for the pre-match joust.

Tonight Bilic's Croatia play Turkey here for a place in the last four. Croatia's progress from Group B was impressively smooth: three victories, crowned by the 2-1 defeat of Germany in Klagenfurt. By contrast, Turkey's escape from Group A was an exercise in brinkmanship, most notably in coming from 2-0 down to beat the Czech Republic 3-2 in their decisive final game.

"Yes, we know the Turks came back twice and this shows how strong they are," Bilic said yesterday. "They have good quality and morale. They don't give up. But it also shows their weakness. Nobody wants to trail and then come back."

It was a nicely-judged shot across the bows from a man who might have been taking notes from Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger during his four years as a player in the Premier League with West Ham United and Everton.

For Bilic and Croatia tonight might bring a new kind of pressure, as they enter the quarter-final as most people's favourites to progress.

"No, I don't think there are favourites now," Bilic said. "All eight sides have come through three tough games. All eight sides are favourites. It's our intention to go as far as we can. We are under pressure but it's very positive. This is the kind of pressure players want to feel. It can only motivate us."

To date Bilic has had an excellent Euro 2008, confirming the impression of a charismatic and imaginative coach, and one who is unusually close to his players. He still oversees the dressing-room jukebox (recent post-match choice has been the Croatian rock balladeer Thompson). After the win against Germany in Klagenfurt he leapt about the pitch in his beige suit like a drunk at a wedding, embracing every squad member in turn.

That victory was a notable tactical coup for Bilic. Before the tournament there was a sense Croatia had developed a fixation with the absence of injured Arsenal striker Eduardo da Silva, who scored 10 goals in qualifying. Even in preparation for tonight Bilic could not help mentioning the fact that his team "have lost a crucial player".

Against Germany he reconfigured the Croatian attack, playing Ivica Olic alone up front, supported by Niko Kranjcar as a second striker. He also brought in the wonder kid of Croatian football, the creative midfielder Ivan Rakitic. It worked brilliantly: Germany could not get the ball off Bilic's trio of playmakers, Kranjcar, Rakitic and Luka Modric. Mid-tournament the manager had conjured a new shape.

Rakitic, who injured his knee against Poland, was able to train yesterday; as was another doubt, the right-sided player Dario Srna. "I am delighted to say that both may play," Bilic said. They surely will. Turkey will be forewarned, but stopping a fluid, technically gifted Croatian midfield will be another matter.

Turkey's tournament has been one of dramatic late interventions. Beaten 2-0 by Portugal in their opening match, Fatih Terim's team then scored a 92nd-minute winner against Switzerland to eliminate the co-hosts and needed two goals in the last three minutes from Nihat Kahveci to pip the Czechs to a quarter-final spot.

They will need all their resolve in the Ernst Happel stadium tonight. Already without the suspended defensive midfielder Mehmet Aurelio and goalkeeper Volkan Demirel, Turkey may also lose central defender Servet Cetin, who has a groin injury. Nihat, full-back Hakan Balta, defender Emre Gungor and midfielder Emre Belozoglu are also slight doubts. Terim was in philosophical mood. "On my office wall at home it reads, 'There is nothing here that can be called impossible, and miracles take some time'," he said. Such has been the story of Turkey's tournament so far.